This invention relates generally to molding apparatus and the elements thereof for preparing frozen food products from liquids and solutions, and more particularly to a cover and holder assembly operatively connectible in the molding apparatus and removable with the frozen food product such that, after the frozen food product has been removed from the molding apparatus and is being consumed, the melted portions thereof can be collected in the cover and holder assembly and suctioned or drawn off by the consumer of the frozen food product.
Molding apparatus for forming and preparing frozen food products are known in the prior art.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,239,175 one such molding apparatus is shown which includes, associated cap members having handle members, anchor members for connecting the cap members to the formed frozen food product and so shaped that, when they are removed from the molding apparatus with the frozen food product, such cap members serve as drip trays for melted portions of the frozen food product. And straw members are provided on each cap member so the user or consumer of the frozen food product can draw off the collected and melted food product in the conventional manner.
The straw member for each respective cap member in the molding apparatus as shown in Pat '175 is connected to and formed on the outer surface of the associated cap member and communicates at one end with the interior of the cap member where the melted frozen food product collects. The straw member extends along the exterior side of the cap member so that the opposite open end is exposed adjacent to and above the top rim of the cap member. This permits the melted frozen food product to be drawn off by sucking on the open end of the straw member in the conventional manner but requires that the consumer lift the cap member to the consumer's mouth, which places the frozen food product squarely in front of the consumer's face when this is done.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,766,123 purports to show the combination of a frozen confection, and a cup member having a collecting reservoir. A centrally aligned member in the cup member has a portion exterior of the cup member in assembled position acting as a handle and the portion along the interior of the cup member serves as a pipette. The pipette portion in assembled position has one open end covered and in the frozen confection. The end remote from the end in the frozen confection communicates by suitable passage means with the collecting reservoir on the cup member. This patent suggests that when the open end of the pipette is exposed during the consumption of the frozen confection, the user or consumer of the frozen confection can then draw off the melted portion of the frozen confection collected in the cup member and its reservoir. However, this design is essentially inoperable because those skilled in the art will recognize that when conventional freezing processes at atmospheric pressure, the pipette will fill up with the liquid or other solution from which the frozen confection is made, and such liquid or solution will freeze in the pipette and remain in this frozen condition because of the frozen product which surrounds the pipette during consumption of the frozen product. Therefore, contrary to the statements made in Pat '123, this assembly cannot function to accomplish withdrawing of the collected melted frozen food product nor can it be used to achieve the results of the cap assembly for the molding apparatus as shown in Pat '175.
In the present invention an improved cover and holder assembly is provided for use in molding apparatus forming a frozen food product and for holding the frozen food product which achieves more beneficial results than are shown and described in Pat '175 and overcomes the problems inherent in the cup assembly as shown and disclosed in Pat '123.